West Mercia Police Abortion Inquiry

EDM number 1027 in 2003-04, proposed by Jim Dobbin on 21/04/2004.

That this House notes the decision by West Mercia Police to reopen the case of an abortion carried out after the 24th week of pregnancy on the grounds that the infant had a cleft lip and palate; notes the successful appeal to the High Court by the Reverend Joanna Jepson with the result that the case is not the subject of a judicial review; notes a statement in the Times of 19th April from senior detectives of the West Mercia force that it was a matter of 'political correctness gone mad'; notes the genuine concerns of honourable Members of all parties and all views on abortion that the operation may well have been in breach of the law and that cleft palate does not constitute a sufficiently serious condition to justify abortion after the 24th week; notes the claim that cleft palate could be indicative of a more serious condition and if that were so, questions whether this was entered on the abortion return form; further notes the contemptuous remark of the police claiming that the Reverend Jepson 'just picked up the case'; further believes that in any investigation the police are required to be impartial; and calls on the Chief Constable of the area and the Home Secretary to remove the case from the West Mercia Police Force and to ensure that the investigation is carried out by detectives with a more unbiased view, and a better understanding of the law.

This motion has been signed by a total of 28 MPs.